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'Blankey' ' as in Security Blankey. OK? All parents know what this is. Sometimes it's an actual 'blankey', or it may be a pillow, a doll or some other favorite toy or scrap of material. It's the 'thing' that provides a measure of security to developing young minds in a sometimes scary new world. It's the 'thing' the little ones sleep with, eat with, and lug around until it becomes almost unrecognizable. God forbid that we should ever misplace our blankey. It would be absolutely impossible to live without it!

But then we grow taller and get older. We mature and no longer have a need for our once dearly loved 'blankey'.

Right'

If you believe that last statement, I have some prime hillside property in Tennessee I can make you such a deal on! I know, I know ' very few of us are still hauling around the old tattered blanket or Mrs. Beasley doll from our youth. We'd get more weird looks than any of us could probably handle. However, I'd bet at least a nickel or two that every single one of us is the proud possessor of some kind of blankey. And yes, in some cases it may still be some kind of object ' only now, since we're adults and obviously more mature ' it's more likely our 'lucky charm/shirt/shoes/penny/key ring/hat/rock/you name it'. It's the 'thing' that provides that little extra level of security and comfort in a still scary world.

No, of course there's nothing wrong with carrying a lucky whatever around with us. Well, up to a certain point that is. If we go to extremes and refuse to even leave the house without it for fear that we'll be hit by an eighteen-wheeler, we really should be seeking some professional counseling. But you knew that already, didn't you?

Frequently, our adult blankey is not a physical object. It often comes in the form of a personal belief system. It's a concept ' a focus ' that we rely on to act as our haven from the storms of life. Our security in yes, a still scary world. Frequently, our adult blankey is based upon our religious or spiritual beliefs. Sometimes it's part of our quest for development ' physically, mentally or emotionally. Unfortunately, it occasionally also can take the form of self-debilitating actions used to compensate for a perceived lack of adequacy in some part of ourselves.

It's obvious that (in reference to the last sentence) that an obsessive quest for power, money, attention, etc. is not necessarily in our best interests. And it should be apparent too, that a reasonable reliance on our religious or spiritual beliefs to carry us through life can be a good thing for us ' as can reasonable efforts toward any type of self-improvement.

The problem is that sometimes we carry things to an extreme. We become so over-focused on our blankey that we forget that there's a big blob of real world all around us. We cover our heads with our blankey and try to hide from the realities of life. And unfortunately, we frequently succeed.

Blankies are good. They can be comforting and can provide a foundation for our lives ' and for our personal development. They can also encase our minds, restrain our normal curiosities, and inhibit our ability to truly enjoy life. We need to be careful of that, I think'